Australia Considers Sole-Source Global Hawk Purchase

Posted on: Jul. 3rd, 2006 || Source: flightglobal.com | E-mail Article | Print Article

Australia's cabinet National Security Committee (NSC) is to consider the sole-source acquisition of Northrop Grumman RQ-4 Global Hawk high-altitude long-endurance (HALE) unmanned air vehicles at a meeting to be held in Canberra on 10 July.

The option is being presented by the Australian Department of Defence as the lowest-risk approach to meeting the Royal Australian Air Force’s Project Air 7000 HALE UAV requirement.

NSC consideration of the project has twice been delayed this year, but sources say the cabinet and the DoD now want to see a firm decision emerge to ensure the system enters service between 2009 and 2011.

The DoD’s submission proposes three acquisition options, including the sole-source approach. Option two is for Australia to formally link its HALE requirements to the US Navy’s delayed Broad Area Maritime Surveillance programme, potentially paving the way for that project to evolve into a co-operative multinational procurement with shared industrial participation. Option three is for a restricted competition between Aerovironment, General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Israel Aircraft Industries (IAI) and Northrop Grumman.

Read the full article

• Lockheed Demonstrates Intelligent Autonomous Control of Multiple UAVs
• Russian Navy aircraft test new equipment over the Arctic
• Russia may push forward with S-300 sales to Iran
• Boeing, US Navy Offer Super Hornet for Denmark Fighter Competition
• Boeing Awarded US Army Contract for 191 CH-47F Chinook Helicopters
• The Netherlands shows interest in Gripen
• 4th F-35 Lightning II Rolls Out As Production Line Fills Up At Lockheed
• Lockheed Martin C-5m Super Galaxy Completes Flight Test
• Air Guard Predator pilots increase combat air patrols
• Predator passes 400,000 hours
• Future Predator/Reaper Formal Training Unit announced
• Saab/Gripen team completes Hungarian offset contract
• South African Gripen deliveries on track
• Boeing Delivers Super Hornet Proposal to Brazil For F-X2 Competition
• Northrop to Support NASA's Global Hawk Earth Science Research Aircraft